Khammam: Transgender community demands special package amid lockdown

Khammam: Everyone including political leaders and people are helping the poor and the needy during the lockdown imposed due to control the Covid-19 pandemic, but none is coming to help us, transgenders of Khammam district lamented. These people, who are mainly dependent on begging and sex works, are left penniless as none came on to the road during the 70-day lockdown.

There are about 260 transgenders living in the erstwhile Khammam district. The transgender community, which has been facing several problems shared their worries with The Hans India.

Transgender Union district president Domala Mary wailed that they are not able get one meal per day and none is helping them. Reminding that they also had participated in separate State movement, conducted several meetings and supported political leaders, but at this crucial time, no government and no political leader hasn't visited them and no one enquired how they are living.

Mary stated that the government is helping poor people, migrant labourers and other needy people during the lockdown, but totally forgot them. 'Of the total 250 transgenders in the district, only six have ration cards.

All of us live in rented houses and six of us are HIV patients and suffering without medicines during lockdown.'

Transgenders live by begging and cannot do other works, Mary said. On normal days, each transgender will earn Rs 400 to Rs 500 over begging shop owners, common people, passengers in buses and trains, she said. Now without any earnings, they hadn't paid house rent for the past two months, she added.

Mary questioned the government. "What did they do wrong? Why the government is not helping them?

Another transgender demanded the government for sanctioning Rs 1,500 dole every month to them, like it gave to white ration card holders during lockdown.

She also demanded to issue ration to them without the need of ration cards and a separate package to their community in corona outbreak.